SUPPORT FOR FIANNA Fáil and Fine Gael is almost equal ahead of the next General Election, according to the latest opinion poll. 

The Business Post/Red C poll shows that with the country set to head to the polls in the coming weeks, Fianna Fáil is up three percentage points to 21% while Fine Gael has dropped by a point to 22%.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin dropped by one point in the last month to 17%. This is down ten percentage points from where the party was six months ago. 

Among the smaller parties, support for the Social Democrats has dropped by one point to 5% while the Green Party has also dropped one point to 3%. Labour remains unchanged on 4%. 

Support for independents remains unchanged at 15%, with support for Independent Ireland increasing one point to 5%.

People Before Profit-Solidarity remains on 3%, while Aontú has dropped one point to 3%.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has confirmed that the election will take place on a Friday and that the possible dates are within a “pretty narrow window”.

The likeliest date for the country to go to the polls is 29 November, the date Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has already stated is his preferred date. It’s also understood this date is favoured by other senior government ministers.

Here is the full state of the parties: 

• Fine Gael 22 (-1)
• Fianna Fáil 21 (+3)
• Sinn Féin 17 (-1)
• Independents 15 (=)
• Social Democrats 5 (-1)
• Independent Ireland 5 (+1)
• Labour 4 (=)
• People Before Profit-Solidarity 3 (=)
• Green Party 3 (-1)
• Aontú 2 (-2)

The poll was conducted between 18 and 23 October 2024 and is based on online interviews with a random sample of 1,003 adults. The margin of error is 3%.